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USB MIDI problems on iPadOS 17/M2 iPad Pro - SOLVED
Not comprehensively tested, in that I still haven’t tried my NTS-1, but certainly my Nektar Midiflex and Korg SQ-1 are both now operating normally since the update to 17.5.1. Just thought I’d edit this in case anyone searches on the topic to save trawling through the entire thread.
I finally took the plunge on a new iPad after dithering for about a year, and got myself an M2 Pro 11” over the BF weekend. Unfortunately during setup it insisted on updating itself to iPadOS 17, and I’m having issues with getting MIDI out over USB, as initially raised by @os68ng in this thread:
https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/57606/did-ipad-os17-break-anything
I’ve started a new thread on this in case anyone has any ideas.
So, previous setup was iPad 6th gen (running the latest iPadOS 16) with Apple lightning dongle, connected to everything else via an Anker powered hub (7 data ports, plus 3 charging only). Everything works well in this configuration for both clock and note/CC routing using AUM.
Devices in question are:
Nektar Midiflex: 4 x 5-pin MIDI ports, two of which can be ins or outs (1 and 2), the others are just outs (3 and 4)
Korg SQ-1 sequencer: can also be used for MIDI-CV/gate conversion when the sequencer isn’t running
Korg NTS-1 synth
So I bought the Apple multiport dongle with the iPad, and basically just swapped out the old iPad and Lightning dongle for the new iPad and USB-C dongle.
Audio is fine, though I can’t power the new setup from the Anker hub and had to use the Apple charger instead.
MIDI is a mess, though!
Neither Korg device receives MIDI from the iPad, despite showing up in AUM, either clock or note/CC data. MIDI in from both works, ie if I set the SQ-1 sequencer going and route it to a synth in AUM, or play the NTS keyboard similarly.
The Midiflex is more complicated, in that I can send MIDI out to sockets 1 and 2, but if I send to 3 it goes to 1 and if I send to 4 it goes to 2, so sockets 3 and 4 might as well not exist.
My audio interface is a MOTU M4 and I seem to be able to send MIDI out from its built-in port.
I tried plugging the devices directly into the Apple dongle and same results, so it’s not the Anker hub.
I therefore bought a Uni USB-C hub (as recommended by Jakob Haq), and same result.
Clutching at a final straw, and because the Uni hub recommends a 65W minimum supply, I bought an Anker 100W USB-C power supply, though the devices weren’t being powered by the iPad in the original configuration. Predictably it made no difference.
Swap the new stuff out and put the old iPad and dongle back in, and everything is hunky dory.
I have briefly tried sending MIDI out from Nanostudio in case it was an AUM issue, but it’s the same.
So it doesn’t seem to be power, or the new dongle, or the old hub. Which leaves it being either the iPad itself or iPadOS 17. I’m kind of hoping it’s the OS, as @os68ng started to have problems after updating, and it’s more likely to get fixed.
So: am I missing something obvious here? Any ideas? Apart from just hoping Apple fix it.
Is anyone running 17 and able to route outgoing MIDI over USB properly? If so, which iPad model?
Comments
Hi. It works for me. I use a StreamByter script that makes my Xtouch Mini controller simulate 8 banks of 8 knobs and 8 lighted toggle buttons. When I switch banks, the script updates the "positions" of the encoders to match the controls for that bank. This still works fine using previously saved patches in both Audiobus and AUM.
Note that I always power up the hub (and all the devices) first, then open the iPad and plug in the Lightning adapter. I believe this helps when the iPad begins to poll the connected devices.
Details: iPad 6, iPadOS 17.1.2 (latest). Apple USB-3 adapter, Atolla powered USB hub. Two USB keyboard controllers, Xtouch Mini, schiit DAC driving speakers.
@uncledave Thanks for responding. I always used to do that with my iPad 6/Lightning adapter, but I’m wary of trying to connect USB-C while powered up, especially as Apple themselves say to connect a charger first and then the charger.might give it a try with the Apple supply to see if it makes a difference, though.
It’s very odd what’s happening, you’d think the devices would either work or not work, rather than work in one direction and either not work at all or behave oddly the other way. They show in AUM exactly as you’d expect, just the MIDI data doesn’t go where it should.
Yeah. Maybe your devices are are not as "class-compliant" as they seemed before. Or maybe Apple has rewritten the USB drivers, and made a few tiny errors. You should probably post this on the Apple feedback site. Won't have any immediate effect, but may pile up with other user complaints, and make them aware of a problem.
Good idea about the feedback site. I’ve posted a report on there now, just hope they can fix it. Currently this has somewhat taken the shine off my new iPad!
Yeah, that would be extremely annoying to get a new expensive device and then it doesn’t work as it should. I hope it’s simply iOS 17 bugs and that it sorts itself out quickly.
Is it only issues with sending midi out or midi in as well? I’m updating my ipad in the next week or so to one of the new Pros and I’d hate for my brand new midi controller to be a doorstop until it get fixed.
Sorry you’re having issues! I have an M1 iPad Air that’s still on 16 so I’ll be forced to update as well I reckon.
How’s the screen real estate with the Air @HotStrange ? Apparently in March, they’ll release a 12.9” Air…as well as OLED Pro models.
MIDI in seems to be fine (which feels like a famous last words statement), which is why I didn’t think it’d be a power issue, though in the end I got the power supply as well, just in case. I needed one anyway, as the Anker hub charging ports don’t output enough wattage to charge the iPad Pro via the new dongle, unlike my old iPad and the Lightning dongle.
The NTS-1 isn’t a huge loss, as I don’t use it much anyway, and I can get by with the Midiflex as it is, as I’ve shifted my M32 and SubH to the working ports 1 and 2. The real bummer is the SQ-1, as I don’t think you can get MIDI in other than via the USB connection. It has an out socket (3.5 jack and a supplied converter lead to 5-pin), but I don’t think it’s bidirectional. I may be able to do something with an analogue clock connection for sync, but I can’t do MIDI to CV any more. Short of swapping over to my old iPad. Grrrr!
There’s a lot of finger crossing going on at my end. Hopefully they’ll find the problem and sort it out.
Oh so you’re trying to sequence your hardware from the iPad? That really sucks. I hope you’re able to get it sorted or Apple gets it sorted, whichever one.
I’m thinking of getting the Sound Studio bundle soon so I hope it’s fixed by then 😫
I mainly use the SQ-1 with my Mavis as it has no MIDI, so it is a PITA. I’ve never managed to get MiRack’s CV output to calibrate properly, and the SQ-1 was an easy way to get pitch and gate to the Mavis from the iPad, and you got a hardware sequencer thrown in.
I tend to just send MIDI clock to the Sound Studio, though I think I’ve use KB-1 to play the M32 a couple of times. And you can modulate the SubH’s envelope decay via MIDI, which you can’t via patching, oddly.
The stupid thing is that now I know there are things I can’t do at the moment, those are exactly the things I want to do!
Haha it’s always when it’s right out of reach that you want to reach the most. Hope you’re able to get it all going. Have you reached out to Apple already?
Honestly I don’t think I’d use it with my iPad much outside of recording and/or sampling into it. I mostly want it to crate more outside of the iPad and a screen. It’s nice to be detached sometimes and it inspired in a different way. I haven’t had the space for a big hardware setup for a while but now that I’m moving soon-ish I’m looking at getting back into the hardware workflow.
Yes, I’ve fed back to Apple, though I might try their support so at least they can feed back the issues that way too.
I like the combination of hardware and software - particularly WRT effects, which really opens up the possibilities. And can stave off some hardware GAS (up to a point!). Though TBH this experience is making me think moving more into hardware might be sensible, as Apple can’t suddenly break things with an update. Though I guess a firmware update with issues would be similar for hardware.
Motto for the day: Nothing is ever perfect!
That’s a good point. There are some great hardware sequencers out there. Even the upgraded version of the SQ-1. I love the iPad as an effects unit. It keeps me from buying dozens of pedals 😂
Once I move more into hardware I’ll still use iPad for effects and as my DAW. And of course I’ll add some iOS synths to the mix. But it sucks you can’t rely on it for things like sequencing when we have so many cool sequencers on iOS
Just a quick update: iPadOS 17.2 hasn’t fixed this.
Luckily it doesn’t seem to have broken things any further (it felt a bit like playing roulette doing the update yesterday!)…
Is that script available for download? I have an Xtouch Mini myself and this looks interesting.
For what it’s worth I use an OWC Thunderbolt 4 (not Thunderbolt 3) hub with my M1 IPad Pro and everything I have tried on it just works. I can even plug in external Thunderbolt NVME multi terabyte drives and get really fast throughout.
I think it’s because Thunderbolt is an actual extension of the hardware bus rather than an interface like usb.
Of course your experience may be different but thought it worth a mention.
Most things are fine, the problem seems to be purely with MIDI out via USB. It doesn’t totally fail, and the devices show as they should in AUM (and NS2). MIDI in from those devices is also fine. But MIDI out fails completely on two devices, and the third one doesn’t work properly. On my old iPad 6 (on 16) everything is absolutely fine.
I note that 17.3 is now out - I’ll try it next week and see if there’s a fix in place.
Have you tied outputting MIDI from your iPad to (for example) a hardware synth?
Yep, it all works as expected, haven’t really seen any issues (I tend to use Logic Pro on my iPad and it has performed really well, I’m guessing that Apple is using some undocumented api calls to make it work as well as it does).
Interesting. I get the impression Logic is using all sorts of undocumented stuff.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed 17.3 fixes the issues I’m having.
Update: 17.3 doesn’t fix the problem. Drat!
I had the same issue with the Nektar Midiflex and AUM on iPadOS 17.2.
My DoreMIDI dongle, KeyStep 37 and Zoom interface have all been fine with MIDI on both 17.2 and 17.3. The KeyStep has been buggy but that's probably just the KeyStep being temperamental as usual.
I haven't tried the Midiflex yet on 17.3, or my SQ-1 on either 17.2 or 17.3. It'd be a real shame if I can't get the SQ-1 working with MIDI from AUM, I'll try it out tomorrow and report back.
It’d be really useful to know whether you can get the SQ-1 to work. I’m hoping that at some point next week I’ll have the time (and mental strength!) to contact Apple Support about this. The thought of much frustrating to-ing and fro-ing with someone who doesn’t understand iPad MIDI fills me with dread, though.
@bygjohn . Is it at all possible that the problem is in the program sending the MIDI, and not in iPadOS? I realize you've tried a lot of combinations, and maybe ruled that out. But I wonder if the app generating the MIDI, or the AUv3 host (less likely), needs an update to be compatible with iPadOS 17. I remember when 14 came out, there was a flurry of problems because they changed the way MIDI messages were queued, supposedly anticipating MIDI 2.0. This problem may be the next step of that.
I’ve tried both AUM and NS2, and the same thing happens.
I'd actually suspect the AUv3 app generating the MIDI more than the host (AUM or NS2). If the generator isn't adding the data to the queue correctly, iPadOS might have trouble sending it. The host app likely just hands the buffer to the system without examining it.
I tested it out this morning, and can confirm the SQ-1 won't send MIDI out on iPadOS 17.3. Tested with both EG Nodes and Fugue Machine as AUv3s in AUM, and also EG Nodes standalone.
Sending the same MIDI data through the DoreMIDI cable worked fine in all the above instances, so in my experience the issue clearly impacts some class compliant USB MIDI devices (Midiflex, SQ-1) but not others (DoreMIDI, KeyStep 37, Zoom U-44).
Really bummed about the SQ-1.
Please do let me know how you get on with Apple support, and feel free to refer to my experiences as well. Happy for you to DM me for technical details or moral support. Thanks and good luck!
Fwiw, the more people that contact them the better. The number of contacts made makes a difference in how seriously they take an issue.
Thanks. Never contacted Apple Support before but I'll give it a go.
Seems some users are having issues with other gear both in Cubasis and using Bluetooth MIDI:
https://forums.steinberg.net/t/midi-keyboard-stopped-to-work-in-cubasis-3/895644
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255377920?sortBy=best
Contacted Apple Support and lodged the issue. I'm supposed to be getting a call from a senior specialist but haven't heard back yet. Hopefully they bump it up to the devs.